Unity Amidst Diversity

No two persons are alike, they say. Each of us has his own personality and
identity. But as we age and become mature, we tend to find and be with those
people who have the same personality and principles as ours. Being with them
makes us functional, therefore positively contributing to the society. Its because we
can do so much things when were with those people who we are comfortable with
and who have the same ideas and principles as ours. Scientists join forces to find
cures for illnesses, the government is there to lead the nation and provide justice to
the abused, farmers and other producers provide food for everyone, and intellects
continue to think of theories and principles that can be applied in the present and
future. Each group has its own unique identity and function. Each group contributes
to the welfare of the nation.
However, what we dont realize is that the concept of faction prevents us
from being united. It creates a borderline separating a group from another,
therefore prohibiting peace and harmony to take place among the members of the
society. The rich would only deal with the rich. The knowledgeable ones would
prefer being with their fellow intellects. The poor is intimidated, therefore making
them somehow socially-awkward. What is even worse is that people in a group tend
to abuse their power therefore benefiting themselves at the expense of others.
In this 10th Mid-year Convention, Local Chapters are assigned factions. LCs
will have to compete with one another for honor and glory. Practical and academic
skills will be tested through the series of activities and competitions and
participants are expected to be very competitive. But at the end of the day, WVFJPIA
aims to promote unity among its members. Yes, we came from different universities
and islands and competition is inevitable. Yes, each of us has his own personality
and beliefs. However, we are here to also have fun, learn, and build camaraderie
with our fellow JPIAns. The theme teaches us that different factions hone
specialization of work and strengthens the essence of being Local Chapters, but
despite being different from one another, despite belonging to different factions, at
the end of the day, its our being JPIAns that matters.
A quote says, Peace is not unity in similarity, but unity in diversity, in the
comparison and conciliation of differences. We would most likely achieve peace
and harmony through uniting amidst our diversities. We may take different shapes
and sizes, but remember, each of us is an important piece to the puzzle as each
JPIAn is an essential part of the WVFJPIA.